The BreakUp
by AMC88
Summary: Frank gets heartbroken after he takes a step he thought he was ready for, and he and his Dad, Fenton Hardy, have a hearttoheart talk.


Fenton's heart broke, although biologically Frank was his nephew, his only brother's only child, and had adopted Frank after Frank Sr.'s and his wife Mary died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver when Frank was a newborn.

It never made Fenton or Laura feel any different toward Frank in any way, and Frank knew that, because from the start, Frank knew he was adopted. The oldest son of Fenton and Laura Hardy, and brother to the twins, Alyson and Joseph Hardy.

When the adoption became final, when Frank was just a toddler, after his parents were killed not long after he was born, Fenton and Laura decided to put Frank's parents pictures prominently in his nursery, and when Frank was old enough and asked about the two strangers that were so prominently displayed in his room and not in the room's of his younger siblings, Fenton and Laura sat down to have a long chat with him.

Although, Frank was upset initially about finding out that he wasn't Fenton and Laura's son, and he would never get to meet his biological parents, and later he learned all about them and felt he did know them through his aunts and his dad.

What upset Frank the most, was that his younger brother, his best friend, was actually his cousin, but he never had to fear being treated any different when Joe was told, because to Joe, it didn't matter, they were still best friends, and that would never change and it still hadn't, till this very day and Fenton knew it never would. He still missed his brother, he and Frank Sr. were close like Frank and Joe were, but not nearly so, for Fenton knew that if Frank Sr. had lived they were fixing to move out of New York City and move across the country so Mary could pursue her acting career, after years spent on the stage in California, for she was an exotic beauty, with jet black hair and very dark brown eyes, almost black.

Fenton knew that if Frank's eyes were open, they would be just a shade lighter than his Mom's, just like his dad's eyes, a dark chocolate brown, warm and inviting, letting you know that the person behind those eyes was a thoughtful, caring individual, much like his father had been. Frank's hair also was the same as his dad, Frank Sr. made over, Fenton thought to himself.

Fenton knew he had to find out what was wrong. Frank had come home earlier than he had said, rushing in from the garage after parking his mother's car, which he had borrowed for his date with Callie without saying a word. Laura and Fenton were sitting in the kitchen, looking over vacation plans for the family, which also included a celebratory trip in honor of Frank's, Joe's and Alyson's graduation from high school and their acceptance into the colleges of their choice.

"Frank, what's wrong, son?" Fenton looked down, his blue eyes showing his concern and worry. He was truly concerned, Frank was always a reticent child, never letting his feeling show or getting in the way of his feelings, for him to be this visibly upset, Fenton knew something happened that tilted Frank's world on it's axis.

Frank looked up at his father from where he was sitting on the floor with his back to his bed and his legs drawn up to his chest, his eyes red from crying, "Callie said no."

"No, to what?" Fenton asked, confused, coming to sit on the computer desk chair and inviting Frank to sit onto his bed so they could have one of their chats that they had on occasions when Frank felt he needed a release, which wasn't often. Since Frank almost always used a physical exercise to exorcise the demons that life brought his way.

"I asked Callie to marry me," Frank surprised his father.

"Why Frank?" Fenton asked, shocked, he didn't think Frank was ready to go to that next step in their relationship. For he had just finished high school and he still had college to attend with Joe at Bayport University in the fall.

"I know what you're thinking, and I guess you're right," sighed Frank, "but I thought I was and I guess, I thought Callie felt the same way."

"What changed?" Fenton asked, a knot of dread filling his stomach. "I thought Callie liked you a lot, there were times I thought the two of you were attached."

"I thought so too," Frank let out a shaky breath. "It seems I was only way up in society."

"You mean she was using you?" Fenton asked, not at all happy what he was hearing.

"Yeah," Frank sighed. "You see, she wasn't very popular when we started dating, and all of a sudden she became popular when she was dating one of the son's of Fenton Hardy."

"I'm sorry, son," Fenton consoled, "so I wasn't imagining when I sensed the hostility she had towards Joe."

"You knew that?" Frank looked up, startled, "why didn't Joe tell me, or you for that matter?"

Fenton sighed, "because I knew that if I objected to your relationship to Callie based on that, and Joe did too, that would have pushed you further into this relationship. But, I guess I never felt that you were this serious, are you sure you were ready to ask for a commitment this early?"

"I guess not," Frank sighed. "You know Joe tried to tell me to wait and ask her until just before we graduated college?"

"Sounds like a sensible thing to do," Fenton agreed.

"Yeah, and I am supposed to be the level-headed one," Frank chided himself.

"Frank, you have to remember, Joe lost Iola," Fenton reminded him. "He knows the value of taking his time now with any girl he dates. He's learned the hard way to value the time he gets to spend, especially since he's met Vanessa. I am sure even if Iola hadn't of died, he wouldn't have married her, anyway."

"What makes you say that? Joe loved Iola!" Frank argued.

"Yes, he did love her very much, but his feelings are not the intense ones I see when I seen him look into Vanessa's eyes," Fenton explained, gently. "They would have parted as friends, I am sure, you do know that Iola was going to pursue a modeling career after she graduated next year, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Frank said, "she never made a secret about that, I guess you're right. I guess it wouldn't have worked out for me or Callie anyway, she's going to UCLA next month, she wants to finish early, but Liz and her father promised her a job at the Bayport Gazette when she graduated, so I thought…"

"So, you thought you would have her promise to wait until then, and being engaged was the right thing to do," Fenton finished for him.

Frank nodded his head, dropping his head, speaking just above a whisper, "I just thought she really cared about me, and I let all of her teasing Joe just slide," Frank looked up, tears pooling in his eyes, "I knew it was hurting Joe, but I closed my eyes, because I thought I loved her enough to make her change her ways. But she never would, would she?"

"No, probably not," Fenton sadly shook his head. "I know you might not what to hear this…"

"It's okay, Dad," Frank interrupted. "I understand."

"I had a conversation with Joe, not too long ago," Frank looked up, startled, Fenton put up his hand for Frank to let him finish. "Joe understood that you loved her, and that is why he put up with it, as best he could, mind you. Although, at times, he seemed like more than he could handle, mostly stuff she did behind your back, not anything you heard or witnessed. At those times, he would turn to me, your mother, or Aly. He didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"I never knew," Frank supplied, "if I knew I would have ended it, but the strangest thing is, when she was on her own, she never really was popular with the rest of the school, and even then, I don't think she was all that popular."

"Joe said that, too," Fenton agreed. "He said that many of your classmates approached him and wondered what Frank saw in her, and it also appeared that many of your friends, except for maybe Tony and Iola, only accepted her because she hung around you and Joe."

"Trust Tony and Iola to accept everyone," Frank agreed. "I'm surprised Joe didn't mention Chet, I don't think he could hate or dislike anyone, either."

"It seems Chet only accepted her because of her relationship with you," Fenton said, "he told me at the pool party last night that he had witnessed one of the incidents that you weren't privy to, and he almost went to you, but Joe stopped him."

"I just wish Joe told me," Frank choked, "I never wished to play a stepping stone in the popularity at school."

"Don't worry, son," Fenton assured him, "I don't think it worked as well as she thought it would, it seems like she only stuck with you because, if she didn't, she would only have a few, and she's the type that thrives on attention. She's going to get a reality check when she has to make friends on her own merits, instead of using someone else to do it when she goes to school at UCLA."

"I guess you're right," Frank sighed, gaining control of his emotions. "I guess Joe and Alyson aren't home yet?"

"No, you're home early, they went double-dating," Fenton reminded him. "I was surprised you didn't go with them, I thought you were looking forward to that movie?"

"I guess I had my blinders on when Callie talked me into going to that boring lecture on sensationalist journalism," Frank sighed, "I don't think she's interested in reporting the news, just making a name for herself."

"Well," Fenton remarked. "Maybe by the time she graduates college, people will be tired of reporters who try to interject their opinions and act like reporters again."

"Probably not," Frank reported, Fenton had to nod in agreement. "Thanks Dad, I think when I do meet the right one, I will take my time, and try to find a woman who is going to accept me for who I am, and not what I would bring her. I thought she was the one, you know?"

"Well, that is why they say love is blind?" Fenton reminded. "But remember, Frank, life is a two-way street, and you have to remember, you have your whole life in front of you, don't run into a relationship for the sake of being with someone, take your time, because in the end, you'll know it was worth it for the wait."


End file.
